The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-09-03
WANTED THE SILVER.
Why . Young Hottentot Destroyed His
Maeter's Thsrrn ometer.

Why . Youne Hottentot Destroyed His
MATTERS Thermometer.
My boy Piet was not handsome. In
deed, to European ideas, his small eyes
set obliquely in his face; his wide and fiat
nose with It's distorted nostrils, and the
bridge so little elevated that the space
between the cheek bones was almost
hat; his protruding lips, and long and
prominent but narrow and pointed chin
might appear positively ugly, notwith-
standing the vertlicts of the various
Hottentot bellies with whom he was on
familiar terms, and who evidently re-
garded him with approving eyes.
He was pure Hottentot. OF a type
now almost extinct; he was faithful;
tolerably honest, except in matters
in which food. drink or money
were concerned; less Of a drunkard
than most Of his compatriots; and a
liar of but small capacity. He was
about FIVE feet four inches in height,
and of jaundiced yellow hue. His
age amounted to about sixteen years in
actual time, but he appeared to be at
least century old in wickedness and
depravity.
D kept thermometer hung up
on nail which was driven into one OF
the ridge-polcs of the tent, and the
mercury in the tube and bowl much
exercised the mind of Piet. He asked
us frequently what it was for, and evil
IDENTIFY regarded our explanations as to
the use of the instrument as mere SUBJ
terfuges designed to disguise the truth,
asking:
"What the use of such t'ingP S'pose
see cloud dis side over dar, den me
know rain soon catch dis part, and
make plenty cold. S'pose you no able
for tell if day hot or cold without dem
t'ingp"
The word "mercury, too, he consid-
cred a slang name we had invented to
describe the metal in the bowl; and one
day, when D. happened to refer to
it as quicksilver" in Piet's presence,
Icould see sudden CLEAN of intelli-
gence in the boys eyes. and a pleased
expression on his fiat countenance, rs
II he had at last received corroborative
evidence Of fact which he had long
suspected. Next day we came back
from the claim somewhat earlier than
was our custom on account of the un-
usual heat, and when D. went, as
usual, towards the thermometer to see
what the temperature was, behold, no
thermometer was there!
We, of course, suspected Piet at once,
and searched high and low for him.
He was nowhere near our tent, but
after some time we discovered him at a
little distance. crouched down behind a
heap of "stuff" near a sorting-table.
busily engaged with something on the
ground. We approached him on tip
toe and beheld an amusing sight Be-
fore him on the ground lay the broken
thermometer and beside it, in the dust,
was glistening little silver globule Of
mercury. Piet's eyes were fastened
upon this with mingled expression ol
amazement and fright. Every now and
then he would cautiously extend a finge,
and thumb and endeavor to pick up the
mercury, which naturally escaped hin
and rolled to one side. His action and
expression each time he found he had
missed it were so absurd that at last We
could not restrain our laughter; he al
once heard us, looked round, and the
next moment was dancing about anc
making grimaces at us two hundred
yards of.
1t was not until the pangs of hunger
compelled him, towards the evening. t.
approach the tent that we caught him
He expressed contrition. but seemed tt
think, at the same time, that we hat
played rather shabby trick on him.
"What for you tell me that silver live
in dem ting for?" he asked. "Wh,
you no say it witchcraftP and then lef
him. That no good silver-not money
silver." All the Year Round.